Hampton
Classic Announces New Competition and Special Events for 2003
Eight-day schedule begins with the First Annual Long Island Wine
Classic and concludes with $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix
Show
grounds enhanced with a relocated exhibition area and a new Mercado
Bridgehampton,
NYMay 23, 2003The Hampton Classic Horse Show, one of
the nations premier show jumping competitions, returns to
Bridgehampton, NY for its 28th year with an expanded calendar of
events and equestrian competitions. The Classic is a benefit event
for Southampton Hospital.
In
collaboration with the Long Island Wine Council, the Classic will
kick off on Saturday, August 23 with Wine Spectators Long
Island Wine Classica one-day event featuring an afternoon
tasting of wines from twenty-four Long Island vineyards and an evening
paired-wine dinner and auction. Both events benefit three East-End
hospitals and are open to the public who purchase tickets in advance.
Officials
of the show also announced a new Opening Day show jumping competition
in the Grand Prix Ringthe $20,000 David Yurman Time Challenge.
This marks the first time that show jumping will be held on the
Classics Opening Day and was made possible by David Yurmanthe
Official Jewelry and Timepiece Designer of the Hampton Classic.
The Classics Exhibition Horse Tent & childrens activity
area has been moved to a new, more central location directly behind
the Boutiques Garden. The horse show will add a new Mercado at the
Classic, a marketplace for local Hispanic artists and craftsmen,
in this family-focused area.
Once
again the Classics weeklong schedule will conclude with the
excitement of the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix, on Sunday,
August 31. Among the nations top show jumpers expected to
compete in qualifying classes leading up to the Prudential Financial
Grand Prix are members of the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Nona
Garson, Margie Goldstein-Engle, Lauren Hough and Laura Kraut
as well as other former Olympians Norman Dello Joio (1980 and 1992),
Anne Kursinski (1988, 1992, and 1996), Joe Fargis (1984 and 1988),
Leslie Burr Howard (1984 and 1996) and Peter Leone (1996).
We
are very pleased to once again host an event that will include some
of the most exciting hunter and jumper riders ranging from young
children up to Olympic medalists and World Cup Champions from the
United States, Canada, South America and Europe. stated Anthony
F. Hitchcock, Executive Director of the Hampton Classic. But
our event is also a wonderful attraction for visitors of all ages
to the Hamptons and Eastern Long Island. Our World of the Horse
Exhibit Area has been relocated and expanded to include a
mini-Mercado. The new site offers families easier access to the
pony rides and petting zoo and to the Boutiques Garden and Grand
Stands.
We
try to offer something for everyone--from Opening Day right through
Seniors Day, Fiesta Day, and Kids Day to the excitement of Grand
Prix Sunday. And what a great pleasure to kick off this year with
the first ever Long Island Wine Classic, an event that will showcase
the rich talent and resources of our region28 vineyards of
the North and South Forks of Long Island and some of the Islands
top chefs and freshest produce, seafood and poultry, Hitchcock
continued. [A special release announcing details of the Long Island
Wine Classic will be issued after June 1.]
28th
Hampton Classic Opening Day Highlighted by $20,000 David Yurman
Time Challenge
The $20,000 David Yurman Time Challenge, a new show jumping competition
for the Hampton Classic, will be the featured event of The Manhattan
Mortgage Companys Opening Day, presented by Distinction Magazine.
As title sponsor of this event, David Yurman, the renowned jewelry
designer and long time sponsor of the show, further strengthens
his commitment to the Hampton Classic. (More details about David
Yurman and the David Yurman Time Challenge will be released in the
next few weeks.)
Opening Day Ceremonies presented in the Grand Prix Ring will feature
the horses of the Smithtown Hunt and for the second year in a row,
the Adequan® Little Classic dog agility competition. Last year
nearly 40 dogs and owners participated in the Adequan® Little
Classic.
Seniors
Day, presented by 50 Plus Senior News
Thursday,
August 28 is Seniors Day, presented by 50 Plus Senior News, the
greater New York monthly devoted to the areas half-million
senior residents. Senior Citizens will be admitted free to the Classic
and can enter the Classics free drawings for great prizes
donated by Seniors Day sponsors and many of the Classics other
sponsors and boutique vendors.
An
Evening of Shopping in the Boutique Garden will again be a
part of the Thursday schedule. From 5:00 to 7:00 pm, guests will
be invited to enjoy music and refreshments while browsing and shopping
in the Classics unique marketplace showcasing over fifty,
shops, artists, and craftsmen.
Dia
de Fiesta 2003/ Fiesta Day 2003 Presented by Hoy
Friday,
August 29, is Fiesta Day presented by Hoy, the New York-based Spanish
language daily newspaper. Hoy, now the second largest Spanish daily
newspaper in the U.S., will be the presenting sponsor of the Classics
third annual Fiesta Day, an event devoted to the celebration of
the culture and tradition of its Latino participants and the growing
Hispanic community on Long Island. Children under 12 years of age
are admitted free on Fiesta Day and there are free pony rides courtesy
of Sally Hansen Cosmetics.
The
Classic has planned an even bigger and more colorful day celebrating
the diverse cultures of the more than 23 Spanish-speaking countries
around the world. A new mini-Mercado in the relocated exhibition
area will open on Fiesta Day for the last weekend of the show and
will include displays of arts and crafts by Latino and Hispanic
artists and merchants.
As
part of its Fiesta Day tradition, the Classic will again present
its Special Achievement Award to a Hispanic individual who has made
a significant contribution to the horse industry.
Fridays
show jumping competition will be highlighted by the top riders of
the sport, competing in the $30,000 Adequan® Fiesta Day Grand
Prix, the qualifying event for Sundays $150,000 Prudential
Financial Grand Prix.
Fiesta
Day 2003 will be a day filled with fabulous ethnic food, great music,
and special riding demonstrations paying tribute to the gaucho and
charro traditions of South and Central America.
Fiesta
Day will also mark the publication debut of the second edition of
the Hampton Classics The World of the Horse/El Mundo del Caballo,
a bilingual coloring book featuring line drawings of horses by leading
artists from the area. A bilingual bookletCareers in the Horse
Industry/Carerras en la Industria Equinaalso will be given
free to young people attending the Classic on Fiesta Day.
Cablevision
Kids Day
Saturday,
August 30, is Cablevision Kids Day presented by Long Island Parents
& Children magazine. This family friendly day features free
admission for children under 12 as well as an array of activities
sure to please kids of all ages. Kids Day competition is highlighted
by the $25,000 Sally Hansen Grand Prix, the $15,000 W.G.H.R. Junior/Amateur
Jumper Classic, as well as the $2,500 Children's Jumper Classic
and the $2,500 Pony Hunter Classic for junior riders under the age
of 18.
There
will be many interesting animal exhibitions designed to educate
and entertain in the World of the Horse Exhibition Tent and
Show Yard. Performers of The National Circus Project will be on
hand to teach the basics of juggling, plate-spinning, and stilt
walking; the Classic Kids-Teaching-Kids program will teach hands-on
pony care and Alcazar the Magician will entertain young and old.
The dog agility trainers will be teaching kids pet care while the
petting zoo offers kids the opportunity to learn about rescued farm
animals, exotic parrots, and even llamas and alpacas. Free pony
rides for children again will be offered courtesy of Sally Hansen
Cosmetics.
A
Thrilling Conclusion: Grand Prix Sunday!
Sunday,
August 31, is Hampton Classic Grand Prix Sunday and will once again
bring out sporting enthusiasts, celebrities, and dignitaries from
around the country to participate in a day that is often called
the end of the summer season in the Hamptons!
Competition
on Grand Prix Sunday will include the $30,000 Young Jumper Championship
Finals and the $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby for riders
under the age of 21.
At
2:00 p.m., the thirty best riders will compete for the biggest prize
of all at the Classic, the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix,
which is the first event determining which United States show jumping
riders will qualify to ride in the FEI (Fédération
Equestre Internationale) Show Jumping 2004 World Cup Final in Gothenburg,
Sweden. The Prudential Financial Grand Prix is a member event of
the King Shavings/U.S. Grand Prix League (USGPL).
In
addition to the prize money, the winning Grand Prix rider receives
a one-of-a-kind gold and silver championship belt buckle and a David
Yurman watch, both designed by the Classics Official Jewelry
and Timepiece Designer David Yurman. The Grand Prix winner also
receives a jeroboam of Louis Roederer Champagne. The show jumping
rider that has shown the best Style of Riding throughout the week,
in the opinion of the judges, will be awarded an Antarès
Sellerie de France saddle.
Admission
Information
Competition
runs from Sunday, August 24 to Sunday, August 31, with a break in
competition on Monday, August 26. Admission is $5 per person or
$15 per carload, with children under 6 admitted free. Reserved grandstand
seating for Sunday, August 31 is $15 per person (in addition to
$5/person or $15/carload admission) or $25 per person in the special
Premium Seating center sections. Parking is free throughout the
show week.
In
addition to the competition taking place each day simultaneously
in five rings, spectators will be treated to a variety of other
exciting exhibits, including the Boutique Gardens 36 vendor
booths, Stable Rows 20 booths, three on-site public restaurants,
and the kids area open throughout the week. For more information
on the Hampton Classic and Wine Spectators Long Island Wine
Classic be sure to visit the website at www.hamptonclassic.com
or call 631-537-3177.
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